The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: ita47 on October 19, 2012, 10:35:16 pm
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Hey Everyone,
I always enjoy following build threads so I thought I would share my first build experience with everyone. My brother (TGov) got me interested in building a cab when he got his Donkey Kong cab and started his build. Then he came up with an old Pole Position cabinet for free and offered it to me (Thanks Bro) ;D. The cab is in pretty good shape and included the coin door and some other odds and ends. The monitor was still in the cab but the board is gone leading me to think the monitor probably didn't work. Restoring this cab to its original glory isn't really an option. Because there are so many of these dead PP cabs sitting around I have decided to convert the cab into something completely different. I don't really want a driving cab so I am going to do a complete Mame conversion with a custom 2 player control panel. I would like to be able to play both horizontal and vertical games.
I bought a 24" Sony CRT TV Model KV24FS120 off of Craigslist for $30 that I hope will work for my monitor. I do plan on decasing the TV and building a mount for it. I also came up with a Compaq 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 computer with 40GB HD, 1GB Ram and a GForce FX5200 video card with S-Video out all for $10. My brother is going to be doing the mame setup for me using Hyperspin. I hope everyone enjoys the thread, any suggestions or tech help will be greatly appriciated.
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Here are some more pics after I removed the cp shroud and the wooden supports under it. I found some damage to each front corner that has been repaired before. I think I am going to cut those corners to make them straight which will get rid of the damaged areas. In a couple of the pics you can see where I have marked where I am going to make my cut. I think it will make it look more like a normal cab. My brother already bought a slot cutter router bit for the T-molding. It's not going to be too difficult to build and mount a new cp. Even after I make the cut I will still have about 10" of depth for the cp. I have access to a CNC router to cut out the cp which should make it real nice.
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I started stripping the graphics off the sides. The right side came off really easy, the left side not so easy. Its been a total pain in the butt. I am having to heat it up with a heat gun and peel it which is a very slow process. I also removed the foot pedal and front speaker. The front panel is cracked so I am going to remove it an make a new one. I am going to center the coin door when I build the new front panel. I won't be using the pedal or front speaker, the other speaker is mounted in the top behind the marque light and pointed down. It is a 6x9 so I think that one speaker will be fine.
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Here is a picture of the Sony KV24FS120 I purchased off of CL. I am still trying to figure out what is the best way to connect it to my computer to get the most authentic picture. I also purchased a trackball off of ebay. It is used, but in really good condition and was a good buy at $16.00.
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I have been working on the coin doors. It was pretty rough and had some holes drilled in the lower door and the frame. I ground down the areas around the holes and then I tig welded them up. Then after some body work and a little bondo I have it looking pretty good. I sanded everything and then put a couple of coats of primer on. Finally I painted them with Rustoleum Textured Black paint. I am really happy with how it turned out.
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Looking great!
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Looking great so far!
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Here is another update on my build. I have been busy so it's going pretty slow but I have made some progress. I got the coin door completely finished and assembled with new coin return buttons. It turned out great, it looks even better in person. I also made a couple of brackets for some micro-switches and mounted them on the coin mechs so I can add credits by pushing the coin return buttons. I am going to switch them so I can turn them on or off, so if I want it to run off of coins I can or turn them on for free play.
As for the cabinet I finally got all the graphics striped off, what a job. I also cut off the angles on the sides by the control panel making them straight up and down. I think it really changes the look of the cab. I really didn't want it to look like a pp cab when I get finished. The front angles were pretty damaged anyway so by cutting those off I eliminated that problem. I also removed the lower front which was broken and the bottom which was pretty nasty and rotting (see pic). For the lower front I centered the coin door which looks better and replaced the bottom. The cab is laying on its back in these pics. I am going to build a small base to raise the cab up so it doesn't sit on the sides, but I haven't got that done yet. I also made some plates for the bottom for the leg levelers. It is coming along; I still have to make a couple of replacement pieces for the back and also the door. Then I have to repair some spots on the sides and get it ready to paint.
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As mentioned in a previous post I am going to be using a Sony TV as my monitor. After trying it with an S-Video connection I wasn't pleased with the picture, so I purchased a Audio Authority VGA to Component Transcoder off of Ebay. It looks like this is the answer but will require some tweaking to get it just right. My brother TGov who happens to be a graphic artist has been playing around with some ideas for the graphics for my cab. He came up with some Atari Themes which look really good. But I have always liked the Moon Patrol theme so he came up with the idea of "Arcade Patrol." I think it looks awesome.
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Progress is slow but still moving. I got the new front panel screwed in place and decided to build a base for the cab. I didn't want it to have to sit on the partical board sides which aren't in the best of shape. I also wanted the base to have leg levelers so the cab could be leveled on almost any surface. The base I built raised the cab by 2 1/2" and when the leg levelers are screwed all the way in I have about 1/2" clearance between the floor and the base. My next few steps will be building the control panel and fixing all the damaged areas on the sides and getting it ready to paint. Any feedback or suggestions are welcome. Any comments or opinions on the graphics?
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nice job men ;D
Can you please show me how the picture with the converter you bought. (Audio Authority VGA to Component Transcoder)
I'm interested to see how the picture looks.
Have you considered looking at the product ARCADE VGA 3000? He has a good authentic arcade monitor.
Although he has quite a few problems. AND will require some tweaking.
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I am sorry there haven't been any updates on my project for over a year. This is because the project got put on the back burner. I finally pulled it out and started working on it a little here and there a couple of months ago. I finally uncased my TV and my brother gave me an old monitor frame that I modified to fit my TV and my cabinet. One reason I stopped working on my cabinet is I couldn't figure out how I wanted to build the control panel. I finally decided that I wanted to extend it out to give me more room for my controls. The extension I build gave me an extra 3" or so. It took a while to figure out the compound angles to build the extension and several took several attempts to get it right. I really like the way it turned out, it was worth the effort. I also completed the body work to the sides of the cabinet and it is now ready for paint. I am planning on painting it right after Christmas in hopes of having this project completed just after the first of the year. I will try to keep up with the progress.
Jackiabu I am sorry I didn't see your post from last year. If you are still interested I can post some pictures after I get everything hooked up although you probably already went another direction.
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Additional control panel construction pics. I didn't want this cabinet to look like a Pole Position cabinet when I finished. I also wanted to show what could be done with one of these cabinets because there are a lot of dead PP cabinets setting around. I am happy with the results. The next step is paint. I decided to go with the Arcade Patrol theme my brother came up with. The sides are going to be a light blue and the center will be black. I can't wait to get it painted. :applaud:
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I finally finished construction. I finished up the body work and primer and then painted it. It turned out better than I was expecting. I am very pleased. I can't wait to get everything assembled and the graphics on it.
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You know, when I read that you were going to extend the control panel, I was afraid you were planning on bolting an aircraft carrier on the front of your cab. But now that I see how you did it, I have to commend you for making it look nice. Reminds me of a Dynamo cut corner cab. Good job! :cheers:
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Progress is looking great.
I love how you handled the control panel.
You made the conversion from a standup driver to
A regular control panel and kept proportions and lines
nice.
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Thanks for the compliments, I really appreciate it. I really worked hard to make this thing look nice. I wanted everything in proportion and I didn't want it to look like a hacked up piece of crap. I wanted it to look factory when I finish. I installed the coin door, lined the translite area with foil tape for more light reflection and I installed the cp clamps. I will have to fire up the CNC router and cut holes for the controls.
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I really worked hard to make this thing look nice. I wanted everything in proportion and I didn't want it to look like a hacked up piece of crap. I wanted it to look factory when I finish.
You succeeded, my friend. Mcseforsale'd.
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Here is a pic of the Marque and Control Panel. I still have to get these ordered.
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I got the TV installed in the cabinet today. I decided I still wanted to have access to the front controls and remote sensor for the tv so I had to do some modifications to make that work. The front controls will not be visible when everything is done but it will be accessible if I need to use them.
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Everything looks great and you do nice work man, but that control panel is awesome. It gives the cabinet "pop". Love it! :applaud:
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Definitely a lot of work, well done it looks great.
I'm a Moon Patrol fan and think the artwork is excellent - thinking I'm going to have to do something similar with a project I have on, thanks for the inspiration.
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I got all the T-molding installed today, it is really starting to take on that finished look.
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I'm liking it! :applaud:
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Cab looks great - and loving the Moon Patrol design - it looks really well done.
And congrats on that control panel!
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Little by little it is coming together. Today I made the TV/monitor bezel. I made it out of some white tub surround. I have the glass for it but I haven't gotten it tinted or installed yet. The TV and bezel should pretty much disappear once the glass is in.
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Love this build.
Subscribed!
AJ
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love the design, reminds me strongly of my first cab :)
Looking forwad to see this come together!
Cheers,
Ben
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I haven't gotten much done today. I have been looking for the remote for my tv and I can't find it. I am sure I put it in a "safe" place so I wouldn't loose it :banghead: Has anyone else used the Sony KV24FS120 tv? I want the tv to turn on when I plug in the power cord, I am sure there is a setting in the service menu but so far I haven't been able to find it in the service manual. Of coarse I need my remote to get into the service menu anyway.
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I started working on the control panel today. I cut a test panel which had a few problems that I think I have fixed so I should be ready to cut the final control panel tomorrow. I am using a Shop Bot CNC Router to cut everything. Here are some pics of the test panel.
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I bought a 24" Sony CRT TV Model KV24FS120 off of Craigslist for $30 that I hope will work for my monitor. I do plan on decasing the TV and building a mount for it. I also came up with a Compaq 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 computer with 40GB HD, 1GB Ram and a GForce FX5200 video card with S-Video out all for $10. My brother is going to be doing the mame setup for me using Hyperspin. I hope everyone enjoys the thread, any suggestions or tech help will be greatly appriciated.
not sure how i missed this thread before.
I'm pretty sure i have an ATI card back at the house that supports RGB via the tv out port. Think its either a 9600 or 9800. Much better than your fx5200 which is notorious for having shader and pixel clock issues. I'm sure that 5200 also only supports svideo.
You can have this card for free if you want to give it a shot. All i ask is that you pay for shipping.
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Mmmmmm ShopBot. Will ShopBot marry me?
AJ
I started working on the control panel today. I cut a test panel which had a few problems that I think I have fixed so I should be ready to cut the final control panel tomorrow. I am using a Shop Bot CNC Router to cut everything. Here are some pics of the test panel.
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Today my brother came over and helped install the vinyl graphics he designed on the side of the cabinet. We only got one side done tonight but it looks great! Thanks Bro!
404 - I appreciate the offer on the video card. Can you check to see which model it is for sure, and do you know if it is a pci card? I want to make sure it will work with my computer and Soft15. If it does I would love to have it. Thanks!
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Today my brother came over and helped install the vinyl graphics he designed on the side of the cabinet. We only got one side done tonight but it looks great! Thanks Bro!
404 - I appreciate the offer on the video card. Can you check to see which model it is for sure, and do you know if it is a pci card? I want to make sure it will work with my computer and Soft15. If it does I would love to have it. Thanks!
I stumbled upon the card while repairing something earlier today. The unit is an ati 9800pro AGP. Beast of a card back in its time. Does your board have no AGP slots?
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Love the artwork! That is awesome.
AJ
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Progress has slowed down, but I have gotten a few things done. My brother got the graphics on the other side of the cabinet and they turned out great. I got the control panel cut out on the CNC router. I made the blocks today to mount the monitor bezel, and I got the glass tinted and installed. I am really happy with the way this is coming together. I still have to get the control panel graphics and marque ordered. Maybe I can get that done this weekend.
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waiting with baited breath for the next update.... just saying ;D
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Progress has slowed down, but I have gotten a few things done. My brother got the graphics on the other side of the cabinet and they turned out great. I got the control panel cut out on the CNC router. I made the blocks today to mount the monitor bezel, and I got the glass tinted and installed. I am really happy with the way this is coming together. I still have to get the control panel graphics and marque ordered. Maybe I can get that done this weekend.
:applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
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Update: I got my marque and control panel graphics, they look amazing! My brother and I got the control panel assembled tonight. I still have to wire it up and I hope to get that done tomorrow. I am excited to get this finished up. It has been a long time coming but is turning out better than I expected.
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Bam! :applaud:
Great job. Love it. The joys and buttons are set back a little bit, are they comfortable and within reach?
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The joys and buttons are set back a little bit, are they comfortable and within reach?
What mgb said. The artwork looks great though...
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Super nice.... :applaud:
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I tried to make a working cab out of a pole position, and I failed miserably. Your work is great and you should be really proud of this. I look forward to the day you decide to build a cab from scratch
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The joys and buttons are set back a little bit, are they comfortable and within reach?
I really like the layout of the controls. After I get to play it for a while I will let you know if I would change anything. I think it is comfortable and easily reached. I will try to take a picture from the side to give you another perspective. Today I got some of the controls wired, it takes a long time to run all the wires. Once I get all the wire run I will zip tie them together and clean it up some. I used 22 gauge solid phone wire. I used the green for all the ground wires, red for the joystick wires and yellow for the buttons. Thanks for all the complements, I do appreciate it!
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Love the art! Good work!!
You probably mentioned this already, but the top joystick with red ball, is it to control Hyperspin exclusively or is it a 4 way?
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I really like the layout of the controls. After I get to play it for a while I will let you know if I would change anything. I think it is comfortable and easily reached. I will try to take a picture from the side to give you another perspective.
Awesome build. 2014 Build of the year contender for sure. :cheers:
I'll be interested in a control feel update, as well. I see so many panels with a dedicated 4-way placed off in the 'boonies' and could never wrap my mind on how that could be comfortable. Yours seems close enough that it wouldn't be an issue, though.
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Love the art! Good work!!
You probably mentioned this already, but the top joystick with red ball, is it to control Hyperspin exclusively or is it a 4 way?
The joystick at the top is a 4 way and it will be used to navigate hyperspin but will also be used to play some of the games that used a 4 way joystick. I wanted a 4 way but it was hard to fit everything in. The 8 way joysticks and buttons are great. The control panel is only 13" deep so nothing is out of reach, granted it can't be as comfortable as a dedicated machine, but in order to get everything on there this was the best layout we came up with. Like I mentioned I will let you know after I play it for a while how it feels.
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This project is nearing completion :applaud: I finally to the cabinet moved to my house. I have the control panel completely wired, the coin door is wired with lights and coin slots work. I have the original marque light wired and working as well. I mounted the computer and my converter box inside and built and mounted my amplifier for the sound that drives the stock 6x9 cabinet speaker. I still need to wire in my main power switch and construction will be finished. I still have to do some tweaking in the computer, I haven't been able to get my trackball working in mame yet, but I haven't spent much time on it yet either. My kids love it and I am really going to enjoy having this. To me this is an awesome setup, to be able to play hundreds of arcade games on one machine. I don't have a room or a basement to have a full blown arcade with dedicated machines, I only have room for one. If anyone has any pointers on getting the trackball to work post it up. Thanks!
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More pictures. For some reason the thumbs are turned wrong but if you click on the thumb to enlarge the picture it will be turned correctly. If someone can tell me how to fix that let me know.
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Wow. Turned out really well. As for the 4-way, you should be fine. Using the Knievel CP also has the 4-way above the TB. The only time I've had issue with it is when I went for a massive shot in GT and whacked my fingers on the joystick. :badmood: *THAT* friggin hurt.
I bet your measurements from the TB to the 4-way are about the same as mine. It just looks further because of the shape and scale of your CP.
AJ
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The 4-way feels fine to me. The D button on player one side is a little close and my hand rests on it at times when using the 4-way but it doesn't bother me. I just made sure that button isn't controlling anything in the game. More pics.
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More Pics
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Make sure your MAME is set up to see the trackball as a mouse.